The Dragons of Middle Earth
by ElvenDragonSorceress
Summary: This is my very first Fanfic, so be nice! Its basically about an exiled elf and her dragons, and Legolas's involvement with them. Very interesting!


Note: This is assuming that most elves look like Galadriel and Legolas (Tall, blonde, with blue or green eyes) Others are more than likely part Dark Elf (not dark as in evil, dark as in not liking light) who have darker features (brown or gray eyes, black hair)  
  
Also: I don't own Legolas or anyone else from LOTR / middle earth. Terrico, Træs, Mahir, etc. are my own creations and are MINE! It's a side- story/behind the scenes look at what happens when you trust Scribes too much.  
  
Dragon Notes: the "æ" or "Æ" symbols are pronounced as two vowels, thus "Træs" is pronounced "Tray-es" and "Æstas" is pronounced "A-es-tas" Also, the Draconic language is mostly snarls, snaps, and growls, with few actual words. Draconic dialogue has been translated for easy reading. (Noted as D dialogue D) The foreclaw is the forearm and 'paw' of the dragon. The Forehorn grows in the same place as a unicorn's horn. Only dragons in leadership roles have forehorns. All other dragons have small gems. Most dragons stand at least 17 feet tall at the shoulder (fully grown, this doesn't apply to young dragons).  
  
Elf notes: Scribes are as close as you can get to an evil elf. Their job is to translate ancient writings and messages from other races, like dragons and dwarves. They hate dragons, and want them gone. They may have misinterpreted on purpose, but they'll never say. The Elves of Mirkwood accept anything they say as true. The Dark Elves mentioned are from the Silmarillion, a book also by Tolkien. They live in caves in the Deep South of Middle Earth. Most elves are between 6 and 7 feet tall. Dialogue translated from Elvish is marked as E dialogue E.  
  
Character Summary: Terrico  
  
Terrico is an Elf, with shoulder-length jetblack hair and red eyes. She was born in Mirkwood, her parents being servants in the Palace. Being different and seen as a bad omen, she was left in the woods at birth to die. A dragon (Træs) found her and raised her. She is 2,800 years old. She speaks Common, Elvish, and Draconic. She is very vengeful toward her parents and the Queen, who ordered her to be left in the woods. She learned Elvish magic from an old elf (Mahir) who lived with the Dragons, and Mira taught her Dragonic magic of the Fire and earth varieties.  
  
Character Summary: Træs  
  
Træs is a Dragon of the Redrock (fire/rock) race. He is in the Goldclaw clan, which rules over most Dragons except the Darkmaw Clan (Blackwing Dragons loyal to Morgoth). Træs is the son of Mira and Dræs, the ruling Dragons of the Redrock clan. He is very powerful both physically and magically. He can summon fire-sprites and rockies (small, ratlike creatures with armored skin and small, thick tails) at will. He can also control Fire and command rocks and with enough effort, small areas of earth. He is an expert flyer. He stands 15 feet tall at the shoulder, with a wingspan of 35 feet. He is, like his father, red with gold undertones and has his mother's green eyes.  
  
Character Summary: Mira and Dræs  
  
Mira and Dræs are the leaders (Grunmaws) of the Goldclaw clan. The Clan rules over all other clans except the Darkmaw, who refused to swear loyalty to the other dragons. Their son, Træs, is respected amongst other dragon clans, but no other dragon will obey him unless his parents are near. Mira is the most powerful dragon in Magic, knowing at least all basic and some advanced skills in all magic varieties (rock, fire, grass/forest, life, light, shadow, water, wind, and spirit). Dræs is the most powerful dragon physically, and has won many battles. His hide is so tough from battles, it can reflect basic magic attacks and lessens the affects of advanced magics. His only weak point is his eyes and nostrils. Mira is a bit small for a grown Dragon, standing 13 feet at the shoulder. She has a gold hide with silver undertones. She has forest green eyes. Dræs is a blood red color with gold undertones. He has gray eyes and, like all Grunmaws, a silver forehorn (horn on the forehead). Mira's forehorn resembles a unicorn's, as it is curled. Dræs' forehorn is straight and has an emerald set into the tip as a symbol of strength and dominance.  
  
Character Summary: Mahir  
  
Mahir is an old Elf who came to live with the Dragons of the Goldclaw clan after they were driven out of Mirkwood by the Elves, who saw the omnivorous creatures as threats, fearing also the Prophesy that called for them to be joined into one culture. Mahir understood that the merging was for good, and that the Dragons meant no harm to the Elves. No other elf saw it that way. He wasn't driven out, but went willingly as a friend to Mær, the father of Dræs. He can speak in Draconic, but has an obvious elven accent.  
  
Ok, on with my first Fanfic!  
  
Chapter 1 - Beginnings  
  
Long before the Ring of Sauron was ever thought of, a group of Redrock Dragons inhabited the woods of Mirkwood, living in harmony with the elves. They are the Goldclaw clan, and many trees around the caves bear warning to trespassers, a gold footprint pressed into the trunk. An old Dragon, a prophet, was near death, and about to give his final prophecy. His prophecy said that a great Ring would be made, and bore by a great evil against Men and Elves. The ring would be lost, and found by those that dwell close to the earth. The ring would be taken and destroyed by these tiny ones, with the help of members of the other Peoples. He went on to state that exactly 33 years after the creation of the Ring, an elf would be born that would unite the clans of Elf and Dragon. The Elf would be called the Queen of the Elves of the Claw, and the King would be the Prince of Mirkwood. The elf would have D "eyes as red as the flowing rocks of the warm mountains, and hair as dark as the starless midnight sky." D the last line of the Prophesy was this: D "The Dragons shall bear the Elves into the sky, and they shall never fall, they shall fly to the cloud-city and rule over both Dragon and Elf." D It was written down in Draconic, and taken to the Scribes of Mirkwood. The Scribes mistranslated the last line, however, and it read E "The dragons shall take the Elves into the sky, and they shall fall. They will rule over Dragons and Elves in the City of Cloud." E Thus, the elves believed that in the merging of the clans, the Dragons would attack them and drop them from the sky, and use their deaths as a warning to take control of the other elf clans. The elves then decided to break the peace between them and the Dragons and they chased them out of Mirkwood by surprising them and attacking them with weapons enchanted with water-element spells. The Dragons had secretly returned, years later, and dug well-hidden caves to live in. To mark their territory, the Dragons melted gold found in the caves and covered a forepaw in it, and in gripping a tree, left the gold in an imprint of a Dragon's paw. It was the sign of the Goldclaw. The ranks of the Goldclaw were simple, the Grunmaws were the leaders, and respected by all. The pups were divided into the Nesters (those that were still too young to venture far from their mothers), the Fledgers (those that were learning to fly), and the Younglings (those that could fly, but not hunt or breed). The adult dragons under the Grunmaws were Clawlers (hunters- 2nd highest rank), Mawlings (Warriors- 3rd highest rank), or Clitens (regular dragons, lowest rank and most common). The pups were, technically under the Clitens. In human terms, the Grunmaws were Kings and Queens, Clawlers were Lords, the Mawlings were Soldiers and warriors, and the Clitens were everyone else (peasants). The Nesters were infants, the Fledgers were toddlers, and the Younglings were young children. The Goldclaw lived in peace in their hidden caves, but knew of the comings and goings of the Elves, since they had power over the rockies, who could hide anywhere there was dirt and were good spies. Time wore on, and eventually they heard that Sauron had made a Ring deep in Mount Doom. They knew the Prophesy well, and knew that a great amount of change was coming.  
  
Chapter 2 - The coming of the Prophet's Elf  
  
Deep in Mirkwood, there was much rejoicing. The elves were welcoming the birth of a new elf. The parents were merely servants in the Palace of the King and Queen of Mirkwood, but they were well liked. The King, Thranduil, was so fond of the couple, that he allowed his son, Legolas, to attend the small party in the center of the city. The proud father was sitting on a root, sticking about 3 feet out of the ground, at the base of a tall gray- barked tree. Above him, in one of the many platforms nestled in the tree's boughs, his wife was giving birth. Legolas came over and sat next to him, curious as to what was going on. When compared to a human child, he looked like a child of fourteen or fifteen. E "What's going on? I haven't seen such happiness since the last Chase." "Oh, I'm about to become a father! It's my first child, and we're very happy. I hope that I am blessed with a son, perhaps you could teach him archery when he's older." The elf said, laughing. "But you're too young still to understand these things. Go run over to the tables and get yourself a drink." E He said and lightly pushed Legolas off the root towards the tree that held the platforms full of tasty foods and drinks. Legolas was very swift, despite his young age, and was back in a minute. As he approached the new father, the baby elf was being brought down. He ran over and stood on the root, looking over the shoulder of the father at the newborn. The father pulled away the blanket over the baby's head and almost dropped it. E "Black hair! Take it away! Send it to the nursery." He then ran up to where his wife was resting. Legolas looked around at the other elves, but they hadn't heard the father's words, and were chatting amongst themselves, questioning each other on why the baby hadn't been shown to all. "I think he's jealous because it looks better than him" one elf snickered. "Maybe it wasn't the son he wanted" another suggested. Legolas decided to go back to his parents, to ask them.  
  
"Yes, yes I've heard of the new little one. She's caused quite a bit of controversy. A rare little one, she is. She can't stay here. She's too different. Fleetin will take her to the Dark Elves. They'll know how to care for her." Thranduil rambled, obviously troubled by something. "Now, you go and play, Legolas" he said when Legolas tried to get more out of him. "I saw her, Father! She was beautiful! She had dark hair and very fair skin and…" "ENOUGH! No more talk of this new one! Don't say a word to anyone, you hear me, Legolas?" his father suddenly shouted. Legolas, surprised by his father's sudden change in mood, left to find his mother.  
  
Legolas found his mother walking with a Scribe near a small stream. "Yes, I know the Prophesy. I know what has to be done. They've already called for Fleetin. I hope that the Prophesy does not come true." She said to the Scribe. Legolas came over and touched the Scribe's sleeve, "What are you talking about? Is it about the new one?" "Yes, now go away. This is our business, not yours." The Scribe answered sharply. "Leave him be, he's my son, Legolas. He has a right to know since he is the prince." His mother scolded the Scribe, then turned to her son; "The new one is a girl, who won't be getting a name here. She's being sent to the Dark Elves, just as their Prophet has foretold. She's too different from us to stay, Legolas, you must understand that." Legolas didn't understand, but spoke no more of it.  
  
The next morning, before the sun had risen, Fleeting arrived. He took "the Different One" as the new little elf was called, and rode off toward the caves of the Dark Elves in the south. But it was not Fleetin's destination. He instead rode off the path a few miles out of sight from the woods, to the edge of Mirkwood. Here he laid the different one in a knoll of a fallen tree, near where orcs had been recently sighted. "You'd better hope for a quick death, strange one. You bring bad tidings to Mirkwood, just like the Dragons. Good riddance to both!" And with that, he rode off, leaving the baby to die on the dead tree. E  
  
Chapter 3 - Træs' discovery  
  
D "Don't forget to check with the Rockies by the glade before you go off to hunt." Called a large, gold dragon to a smaller, red dragon that was walking out of the caves. "Ok mom! Do you want me to bring anything back?" Træs, the littler red dragon, called back to his mother, Mira, the Gold Grunmaw, or queen, of the Goldclaw clan. "No, but thank you anyway, Træs, your father is going out to catch a few orcs." Træs' father was Dræs, the other Grunmaw of the Clan. The orcs had been gathering a lot closer to Mirkwood lately, but the dragons merely heeded them like they did a herd of deer. Orcs, to them, were meat, occasionally with chewy armor. The elves nearby, however, were forbidden to eat, as they were peaceful (although some dragons then disagreed), sentient beings. The elves had once been their friends, before the Prophesy was revealed to them. Then, suddenly, no elf spoke to them in Draconic, and they even went so far as to attack them, driving them from Mirkwood. They waited patiently in the mountains until the Rockies found a suitable area for them to live. The Rockies were never noticed by the elves, mostly because their hides were made of flexible rock and they always sat quietly, speaking through the ground. They are small, ratlike, and have short, thick tails. The dragons of the Goldclaw clan study fire and rock based magics, which gives them authority over fire and rock creatures, like rockies and fire sprites. The fire sprites are easily noticed by elves since they glow, and their use has dwindled since the Chases began.  
  
Træs stepped out into the sunlight glade outside of the caves and set his head to a nearby tall rock. With a simple, low growl, he began to hear the reports of the Rockies. "Lots of food…. strange…. lone elf……. on horse……. going rather fast……south……near here……..stopping near huntlands……..dropped something……leaving again…….."  
  
The Rockies' phrased report gave him everything he needed to know. "Fleetin's out again. He's the only elf nowadays that still travels alone. Strange, though, that he'd travel close to the orcs, and stranger still, he's left something there. I'll check it out on my way to the huntlands." Træs said to himself, glancing carefully around for signs of other elves. Finding none, he walked silently through the forest to the edge of the clearing they called the "huntlands". It was where a lot of orcs gathered, as well as Nazgûl (a tasty challenge), and occasionally large herd of deer or wolves when the orcs were gone. As he walked the edge, he hunched down into the underbrush. It wasn't really to hide, he was too big now for it. It was to search the ground with his large eyes, for footprints and hoofprints. He found Fleetin's horse's trail, and followed it to a fallen tree, where the horse seemed to stop, stand for a few moments, and then run off again. Fleetin's prints came up in a small area near the tree. "What's this? A little bundle of something, looks like blankets." Træs spoke softly, noticing a green bundle set on a knoll in the tree. Gently lifting a foreclaw, Træs removed the topmost fold of the heap. Two bright red eyes stared out at him, set into a face framed by unusually long, black hair. Two distinctive pointy ears peeked out on either side. "A baby elf! But it's strange, dark. How old are you, little one? Can you understand me?" Træs asked the tiny one, but she merely gurgled. "Well, you're not afraid of me, and that's a good start." He snorted out. He then looked to the sky, to see if he could spot his father.  
  
Dræs was flying high above the huntlands, too high for elf or orcish eyes, but not so high that another dragon couldn't spot him. He noticed Træs examining something, then starting to look for him. He pulled in his wings a bit and slipped out of the lifting thermal. "Træs! Træs my boy! What have you found?" Dræs called as he backwinged onto the ground. "A most marvelous thing father! A dark-hair elf!" Træs' excitement was obvious. "Perhaps she is the one the Prophet spoke of." Dræs approached the still giggling baby, who strangely stopped when it saw him. The baby stared for a second, then seemed to nod, as if acknowledging that Dræs was a Grunmaw. "Well, would you look at that! It knows who I am!" Dræs exclaimed. "We'll take, umm, what is it?" Dræs looked at Træs, neither wanted to check if it was a boy or girl. Træs peeked discreetly, and only for a brief second. "Female. She needs a name." Træs said, lifting his head. "Well, it'll have to be in Draconic. How about "Terrico"?" Dræs was good with names. "Træs" meant "one who laughs quickly". "Terrico", on the other hand, meant "one who changes". "Seems to fit her, if she is the Prophet's Elf. Terrico it is! Let's take her home. There's no need to spare the Clawlers of the chance to hunt a welcome feast!" Træs replied, gathering up the tiny bundle carefully in his claws. "Bend down a bit, Father, and I'll set Terrico between your wings." With that, he lifted the bundle and set it in the little set of folds between Dræs' massive wings. Then, the two red dragons disappeared again into the forest. D  
  
Chapter 4 - Terrico's Æstas  
  
Mahir, an old elf that lived in the caves of the Goldclaw Clan, was gathering up laundry to take to the river to wash. There wasn't much. A few shirts, Terrico's attempt at what he called a 'dress', and some pants. D "If that dress floats away, can I stay in pants? I don't know why anyone would want to wear anything that ridiculous. You can't climb trees, or even run, in it! Why do the other Elves wear them?" Terrico asked, annoyed that Mahir was making her make those wretched things. "The females wear them because they look nice in them. They're not made to be functional." Mahir answered. He was annoyed as well, since Terrico wasn't taking well to learning about the ways of their kin. "After we wash these you can go and work on your weapons. I think that Dræs has Træs hunting again today. Besides, the other Elves are about a lot more. I think that they're sending a party away. Haven't heard where yet." Mahir always kept a watch over the other elves. He couldn't enter the city, but he had better ears than anyone else, except Terrico. He had a well-hidden spot he sat in, often for many hours, over the Weaver's hall. The Weavers tended to talk about anything and anything that would interest an outsider. Terrico was much older now, and let Mahir know that often. "Must you follow me EVERYWHERE?" Terrico exclaimed, spinning around to spot Mahir hiding in the bushes just off the road. "Well, I was testing your skills in locating danger. You passed. What would you have done if I wasn't me, if I was an orc?" Mahir questioned, standing up and stepping onto the road. "For one, I wouldn't have yelled. I would have nailed you to the tree behind you with my knives. If you were another elf, I would still pin you, but by the shirt and not the throat." Terrico answered, motioning to the metal blades that glittered by her side. "Very well, I'll head back then. I think the Weavers are working today." With that, Mahir turned and walked onto a fork in the road no one would notice if they didn't know it was there. Two big blueberry bushes obscured the opening of the path, and moss and mushrooms covered what the bushes didn't. Terrico was walking toward the "warm-rock pool", which was a place where lava flowed out in a hidden river from Mt. Doom. It was where she perfected her weapon-making skills. She excelled with Throwing Knives, and had expert aim with her arrows. She was then constructing a sword like the ones she'd seen the orcs use. As she reached the glowing, red river, she stopped suddenly and leapt up the nearest tree, retrieving the supplies she stowed there. "Lets see, I've got plenty of this yellowish metal, but it bends too easy. It's better for jewelry. This hunk is the bendy-silver, I don't want that, I've done enough practice. Ah, here it is!" She said, as she pulled out a hunk Mithril, although like her gold and iron ore chunks, she knew not its name. "The strong silver. This is what I want. The dwarves the orcs waylaid so long ago certainly did fight hard for it. But, the orcs had more numbers, so the dwarves were all killed. It's a shame. But then again, they left me this lovely chunk, after I killed its newest bearer." Terrico talked to herself, recalling how she came about the metal. Agilely she jumped down and walked over to the river, with the hunk in one hand, shaping tools in the other. "This will be my best weapon yet!" She set the metal down on a partially cooled section of the river, where it would heat up but not sink or drift off. She tied a bit of unburnable rope on it to be sure. The other end of the rope was tied to a nearby fire-leaf tree. This strange tree can't be burned, and only grows near a constant source of fire. The metal began to slowly glow, as it heated up. Terrico pulled out a drawing she had done of the size, shape, and markings of the sword. "Lets see, I've done best with the straight sword, with the hilt end slightly smaller than the point end. I'll use gentle curves on the sides, and a bit of a rise in the center. Now, to shape this thing!" She turned to the glowing hunk, with a hammer and tongs in her hands.  
  
A few hours later, the hunk looked like a sword. It was the length of Terrico's arm, with gently curved sides and a slight rise in the center. The sword had no hilt or handle yet, although she had a bit of metal sticking out on one end to use as an attachment for the handle. "The hard part's done. Now for the hilt!" Terrico brought out some of the yellow metal, the other silver, and some very valuable colored jewels. She had collected them from waylaid caravans. She had red ones, green ones, blues ones, and many more. The one she valued the most, however, was the very bright one the messenger from the Wavetail Clan, a clan of very powerful sea-dragons. They had found the jewel at the bottom of the sea, clutched by a skeleton. They had found, without knowing it, one of the lost Silmarils. The Silmarils were three jewels that held the light of the trees that the gods of the Elves had planted, which Morgoth had destroyed. Like the Ring of Power, they drew people to them, but with greed and wanting to possess them. They had no effect on the dragons, however. And, after being with the dragons so much, Terrico and Mahir had taken on many dragonic characteristics. One of which was immunity from the effects of charmed items. Terrico set the Silmaril in the handle, just below the blade. She set her largest and most beautiful red jewel into the very bottom of the sword's hilt. When she had finished, she took out a small jar of ink. Carefully using a thin feather she had found, the fallen breast-feather of a Phoenix, she drew graceful, curving lines on the blade. The lines converged in some spots, ended in others. The lines eventually formed the images of dragons and long, arching flames. Terrico loved fire, it gave light, warmth, and could destroy something while helping something else grow. She could control it because of her studies with Mira, who was a very powerful Mage-dragon. When she had finished drawing, she spoke in a soft chant. The chant was in Draconic, a series of strange words mixed with growls and hisses. The ink glowed, then burned. It etched the lines into the sword and enchanted it. "Not fire, not water, not rock shall break my sword. My sword is mine. No other sword shall snap it. My sword is mine. No one shall be able to use my sword, unless I give it to them. My sword is mine. My sword will not obey any other elf, nor shall it yield its power to one of the men. My sword is mine. My sword will never pierce the hide of a dragon who swears loyalty to me or the Goldclaw Clan. My sword is mine. With these drops of mine own blood, I claim my sword, and finish the charm." She pricked her finger with the tip of the sword, letting three drops run down the edges. The drops disappeared, absorbed by the sword. She held it up to the light of the sun. "Sword! Thy name is Æstas!" She cried, and the sword glowed a reply, accepting its name. "Well, Æstas, you certainly are quite a bit of work." She handled the sword easily, and quickly got used to its lightweight and ease of movement. Since she had claimed it in an old Draconic ritual, the sword became like an extension of her arm, and she was an expert at using it in a second. She tested it on the rock she shaped it on. The sword sang beautifully as it easily sliced a new, perfectly flat working space onto the top of the rock. It cut it like it was only air. "You're perfect!" She cried happily to the sword, then ran to find Træs.  
  
Chapter 5 - What's that Jewel?  
  
Mahir returned later that evening to find Terrico brandishing a beautiful new sword. The sword glittered in the firelight of the cooking-fire in the main cavern of the dragon's caves. "Hey there Terrico! Where'd you get that sword?" he cried, walking over to where she was sitting, in the shade of Træs' wing. "I made it a little while ago. Claimed it and everything already. I call it 'Æstas'. I think that's a good name for it." She replied, fingering the Silmaril on the handle. "What's that on the handle?" Træs asked, his large eyes focused on the glowing jewel. "A jewel the messenger from the Wavetail Clan gave to me. It glows sometimes. I think it's charmed." Terrico said, turning Æstas so Mahir could see it. "I don't believe it! Terrico, you've set a SILMARIL into your sword! Do you even know what it is?" Mahir exclaimed, eyeing the jewel carefully. "The Silmaril is a very rare jewel. Many elves have died trying to either possess or protect it. Its last owner threw himself into the sea with it." Mahir explained, his eyes glued to the glowing jewel. "Oh yeah! I remember the story. One of the sea-dragons must have found it. If it is as rare as you say, I'll have to cover it. Perhaps with the little pearl dome you have in your jewel-chest Træs." Terrico looked up at her friend. Træs got up and started to walk over to his little cave where he slept and stored his tiny stash of 'pretty, glittery things." He returned a moment later with a small dome, made out of glistening white pearl. The dome had once been a pearl, but the sea-dragon that brought it to Træs was young and dropped it. It broke perfectly into two halves, and the center fell out, producing a smaller pearl and two pearl domes. "I'll just attach it here, over the Silmaril, I think that if I just bend this little nib here into this scratch, yes, that'll hold it quite well. Now it looks like I just put a really big pearl into the handle!" Terrico held up the improved sword. Æstas glittered in her hand, the Silmaril's glow barely showed through the pearl dome. "Now I don't have to worry about anyone trying to steal Æstas. Mahir, did you go to listen to the Weaver's gossip today?" Terrico asked, turning from Æstas to the old elf. "Yes, and that's something I wanted to tell you. Seems as though something big is going on down in Rivendell, and Thranduil is sending a messenger down there tomorrow morning. I want to follow him." Mahir looked a bit graver. "I think it's about the Rings of Power. We'll need to follow without any sound, so I'm sorry to say that none of the Dragons can come with us. They're too big and the smallest are still too young." Terrico looked shocked, and turned her head up to look into Træs' eyes. "But, I've never been away from the Dragons! I can barely speak Elvish, and common's not all that easy, compared to Draconic." Terrico looked distressed. "Don't worry, Terrico. I'll get my mom to make you a mindtouch amulet. That way, you can talk to me whenever you want." Træs tried to soothe her. "Besides, it will be a good change for you to test out Æstas. Perhaps my mom can even help you with your elvish and common." Træs looked towards the guilded archway that lead to Mira's den. "I'll ask her." Terrico said, getting up. Mira liked Terrico, and never minded that the girl ignored the normal rules that applied to behavior around a Grunmaw. "I'd best go with you." Træs said, also rising again. "You never know with her if she'll do anything for you."  
  
Chapter 6 - Mira's Blessing  
  
"Leaving? Well, Mahir must have a good reason." Mira said, carefully eyeing Terrico's new sword. "He does. He kept mentioning the Rings of Power. I think that Sauron's ring has been found again. If that's true, we may have to defend our home, both of them." Terrico replied, looking worried. "Sauron's ring? I hope not. That ring has more power than even the combined might of all of the Dragons under our command, even with the Blackmaw. Be careful! If it IS the one Ring, come back as soon as the counsel is over. Let us know what is going on. I will summon the messengers from the other Clans. I'm sure the Blackmaw already know everything." Mira's worried look matched Terrico's. "But, before you go, I'll give you my blessing, to protect you and Mahir. Come closer." Mira extended a foreclaw upwards and closer to Terrico. Terrico moved closer, standing under Mira's claws. She trusted Mira so much, that she feared nothing as she stood under her claws, even though they were almost as long as she was tall, and they were sharp enough to cut rock like butter. Mira uttered a spell in Draconic, a series of growls, jaw snaps, and snarls. Two gems appeared in front of Terrico. "Take them." Mira said. Terrico reached up and took the gems. One was red, the other green. As soon as her hand grasped the red gem, a chain fell out of it, silver like her sword. "The red one is yours. They will make you invisible, and silent. You will be able to hear each other, and we dragons will still be able to see and hear you, although you will seem a bit clear and quiet." Mira said, putting her foreclaw back onto the ground. "Thank you, Grunmaw Mira." Terrico replied, excitement could be heard in her voice. She nodded to Mira, her chin pressed to her chest. "Now go, or you may miss the other elves' messengers." Træs angled his head toward the doorway. "Mahir's waiting."  
  
Chapter 7 - Following the Messenger  
  
Mahir moved even more stealthily than normal, since the gems didn't guard against the sound of moving leaves. "Perhaps we should go on the path. Our shoes shouldn't make any sounds there." Terrico said, as she jumped onto a branch above Mahir. Terrico had made friends with some of the tree- basilisks a few years ago, and they had taught her how to move through the trees without making any sound. She could judge how much weight a branch could hold by looking at it. She had practiced running through the trees with her practice weapons many times, but had not had a chance to practice with Æstas. "You're not making any sound anyway, so what difference does it make? I'm fine here. Plus, we'd leave footprints." Mahir retorted, annoyed. "Odd though, they've only sent a few elves. See that one there? The one with the woody quiver? That's Legolas. He's Thranduil's son. Haven't seen or heard of him much. Spends most of his time training, I think. He's a warrior by nature, I guess. Sort of like you, right Terrico?" Mahir said, smirking. He knew Terrico preferred to make rather than use weapons. She had crafted a new pair of close-range slashing daggers, complete with a holder that could attach to a quiver. "Yeah, whatever. You know I'd rather run. I can outrun any orc. And you, for that matter. Do you remember when I lead that pack of greedy orc right into the Clawlers' trap? That was really fun. They didn't even have enough time to realize that they'd stepped into a trap!" Terrico laughed as she recalled one of the many times she had helped the Goldclaw clan's hunters snag a big meal. They traveled in complete stealth, occasionally going off to make sure that no orcs waylaid the group. There were only a few elves travelling to Rivendell, and only three were armed well enough to defend against the orcs that their unseen guardians took care of. "How long until we reach Rivendell?" Terrico asked, while they sat in the trees above Legolas's group. They ate a quick dinner of dried fruits and meats, careful not to let any crumbs fall. "I can't believe they don't know we're here. I've snapped a couple of branches, and I've heard leaves rustle behind you a couple of times. They never even look back." Terrico noted. She gazed down at Legolas, who was leaning on the tree they sat in. "He's cute, though. Who else will be at the Council? More elves?" Terrico admired the warrior elf, then turned her thoughts to their destination. "It's a council of the peoples of middle earth. There will be other elves, of course, from the other areas, plus dwarves and men. You remember when I told you about the coming of the men, right?" Mahir looked up into the sky. "It's almost daybreak. They'll be moving soon." Sure enough, a few moments later Legolas nudged the other elves into movement. They packed up within a few minutes and started out again. "Lets go." Terrico said, as she leapt easily to the next branch, again just over Legolas. "Hold on! I've still got to get down!" Mahir called after her, climbing down from the tree. They easily caught up with Legolas's group. They traveled for a few more days, and eventually they arrived at Rivendell.  
  
Chapter 8 - The Council  
  
"Who are they?" Terrico asked, watching the people as they entered. "Well, there's Legolas, he's with the rest of the elves. I think they've got representatives from all of the different clans of elves. Those people over there that are shorter than anyone else with the big beards are Dwarves. They're good at making things like you. They were the ones that mined too deep and let out the Balrogs." Mahir said, noting the people as they entered. He noticed a rustle in the bushes near them. They moved over a bit. "And THOSE" he said, pointing to the two short figures that thought they were hiding "are hobbits." "Strange though, they look like men, but really, really short." Terrico said, eyeing the strange newcomers. "Quiet! They're starting!" Mahir said, putting a finger up to his lips. They listened as they talked about what was happening, and both stared in disbelief as Frodo presented the ring. "That's it? It doesn't even have any gems!" Terrico said, almost not believing that the tiny, plain gold ring could hold a great amount of Sauron's power. The dragons, especially the Goldclaw, used stones and gems in their spells. The gems came from the earth and in that held a tiny amount of magic. The spells merely increased it. "That's it. I can feel it trying to get a hold on my mind. It won't work. I've been around Dragons too long and I have picked up quite a bit of magic resistance." Mahir stated, staring at the pedestal the ring was set on. They laughed when the hobbits were spotted, since they knew that even without Mira's blessing, they would never have been seen. The council went on to decide that the ring had to be destroyed, and that Frodo would need help. Terrico's heart skipped a beat when Legolas offered to go. "I guess he IS a warrior by nature, no other elf seems to even be thinking of going." Terrico said, staring at the Elven Prince. "He's crazy" was Mahir's only comment. As the council ended, Mahir motioned for Terrico to leave. "Go on ahead" Terrico said to Mahir "I want to speak with this Prince." "You're as crazy as he is! He'll kill you!" Mahir exclaimed, almost falling into the bushes. "No he won't, he not nearly quick enough. Plus, he won't see me if I put the gem back on." Terrico replied, touching the red gem sitting over her heart. "Alright, but I want you to be at the second campsite tonight." Mahir said, then turned and silently left. Terrico looked up just in time to see Legolas leave in the opposite direction of everyone else.  
  
Chapter 9 - The first meeting  
  
Terrico carefully slipped out of the bushes and followed Legolas. Her soft shoes made no sound on the stone floors. Legolas walked down a long hallway before finally reaching the room he'd been given for the duration of the Council. It was a beautiful room, with a large balcony that had a wonderful view of the surrounding area. Legolas let the door shut behind him. Terrico slipped in just before the door shut all the way. She walked over to where there was a quill and paper. She wanted to meet Legolas, but she couldn't just appear. "Tap! Tap! Tap!" Terrico rapped the tip of one of her new daggers on the top of the table. Legolas turned suddenly, but saw no one. "Who's there? Come out at once!" He cried, startled. Terrico picked up the quill and waved it, making sure she had his attention. "What the ……" Legolas was confused. How could an ink quill float and wave without anything holding it up? Terrico filled the quill in a nearby inkbottle. She began to write. "For one, you need to be QUIET! Are all of you elves so noisy when you're scared?" "I'm not scared!" Legolas replied as he read Terrico's writing. He quickly lowered his voice. "Are you a spirit?" "No, but I am an Elf." "With no body." "I'm just protected by a Dragon's spell." "Dragons? There are no dragons around here." "You'd be surprised. They've got friends who've been watching you and the others." "Where? In Mirkwood?" "Yes. I myself am allied with the Goldclaw clan your father's warriors have been chasing. They're much more powerful now. They also want peace." "Why? So they can kill us to take over? I know the prophecy." Legolas was getting mad. "You know nothing of the prophecy! Your scribes can't read Draconic. They mistranslated the last and most important line. In Draconic, it reads "The Dragons shall bear the Elves into the sky, and they shall never fall, they shall fly to the cloud-city and rule over both Dragon and Elf." It speaks of a dual-species reign." "Why would the Scribes lie?" "I never said they lied. They're just stupid." "OK, but if you're an elf, why don't you write in Elvish rather than common?" "Because, I was raised by Dragons. I speak Draconic as a native language. Common took me 300 years to learn, twice that much for the little elvish I speak. It is strange on the tongue if you don't learn it from birth." "Raised by dragons? Who are you?" "You do not know me, but your mother does. She ordered me to be left in the woods to die by orcish blade or starvation. The dragons saved me and named me Terrico." "Terrico, huh? You're right, I don't know you. But, I don't remember any exiles, except….." He stopped suddenly, remembering the dark-haired elf of the prophecy, and of the dark-haired baby sent to the Dark Elves. "If I become visible, and hearable, will you promise not to tell anyone?" "I promise. I won't say a word." Terrico sighed and carefully removed the gem. Legolas gasped when suddenly a strangely clad elf appeared before him. "You're.. You're…" He stuttered. "Terrico. And if you think that you can go off and battle orcs only with something like this scaring you, you might as well start carving your marker-stone." "It's not everyday that a strange elf appears out of thin air." Legolas began to blush. "You're a lot like I imagined you'd be." "Like you imagined? How so?" Terrico looked puzzled. "I was a few hundred years old when you were born. I remember when I got a little look at you, before they sent you away. Lately, I've been wondering what you would look like now." Terrico smiled, and fingered the blade she still had out from tapping the table. "Well, I did grow up, and if the Queen finds out, she'd probably have me killed. Again." She laughed a bit at the thought of the Queen raging at Fleetin. "She'd be mad alright. I think that she would probably go after Fleetin first. Now, what were you saying about orcs? Have you fought them before?" Legolas noted the bright sword and the dagger in her hand. "Lots of times. The dragons find them tasty. I've eaten them before, but they're not very good. I prefer fish." She looked over Legolas. "Is that bow your only weapon?" "Yes, and I'm quite good with it. I can shoot an acorn's cap off at 700 paces." "That's nice, but orcs get much closer than that. Do you have any hand-to-hand weapons?" Legolas thought for a moment about what he'd packed. "No." "Are all other elves so dense? Here, you can use these daggers. The holder attaches to a quiver here. That way, you can grab them like arrows." Terrico sheathed the dagger next to its mate, then handed the pack to Legolas. "Wow, thanks. Where did you get these? They look similar to orcish blades, but not so." "I made them. Unfortunately, orcish weapons had to be my template, weak weapons the orcs use. I can break an orcish blade with my hands." Terrico pulled out Æstas. "This is my best weapon I've made. I named it Æstas." Legolas looked amazed at the beauty of the blade. He tried to touch the blade, but a bit of flame shot out of the carved eyes of the dragon and almost burned him. "Oops, I should have warned you. Æstas doesn't let anyone else touch it. I enchanted it." Terrico grinned as she turned the blade for him to see. She decided not to let him see the Silmaril. "The jewel here in the handle is a big pearl that a messenger from the Wavetail clan brought as a gift." "Its beautiful. And so are the daggers. Thank you." Legolas heard footsteps. "Someone's coming! You'd better go." Terrico gently kissed his cheek, she couldn't resist. "I hope to see you again someday, but tell no one of our meeting." With that, she slipped Mira's gem back on and took the paper she wrote on. Legolas watched it disappear as she tucked it into her pack. He heard the leaves of the vines off of the balcony rustle, then the door opened. It was one of the servants. "Sorry to barge in, Prince Legolas, but dinner was served half an hour ago." Legolas set the daggers next to his quiver. "I was just checking my weapons, making sure they are strong enough." He walked out and turned toward the dining hall. Terrico lingered on the edge of the balcony until a few minutes after he left, savoring the taste of his skin, which lingered with his scent. "I like him." She dropped down and started to run out of Rivendell.  
  
Chapter 10 - Hope for the best  
  
Terrico slipped into the tree next to Mahir just as the sun set. "You were almost late." Mahir looked angry. "I wasn't. And no one saw me except Legolas." Terrico began to get defensive. "You're missing your new daggers." He eyed her quiver, bow, and sword. "I gave them to Legolas. He had no close-range weapons. If the orcs we stopped had waylaid them, they'd be dead." Terrico looked troubled. "We can't follow them, I know that, but is there some way to help them?" Terrico knew Mahir would refuse to let her join the new Fellowship, but Dragon Magic had no limits of range. "Perhaps, but we need to get back. Come, we will not stop again until we reach the caves." Mahir got up and with a final glance toward Rivendell, jumped down and started running. Terrico sighed, pausing momentarily to think of Legolas, then took off, gracefully jumping from branch to branch.  
  
They reached the caves at dawn the next morning, tired, and wanting rest. Mira saw them coming and told some of the Clitens to fetch some fruit and water. Mahir and Terrico stumbled into the caves and barely made it to Mira and Dræs' room. "Did you run all the way from Rivendell?" She told some of the Clitens to fetch some fruit and water. Mahir and Terrico stumbled into the caves and barely made it to Mira and Dræs' room. "Did you run all the way from Rivendell?" Dræs asked, looking strangely worried. Normally he was always dead serious. "Yes, we only need a few minutes to catch our breath." Terrico gasped out, taking thankfully the offered bowl of water. "The council discussed very grave matters. Matters that need not be known to all." Mahir said, noting the other dragons. Mira uttered a soft growl, and everyone left except for Terrico, Dræs, Træs, and Mahir. "Sauron's ring has been found, by hobbits. They look like men but stand no taller than a dwarf. They live in homes that sit mostly in the ground." Mahir sat back against the wall of the cavern. "They are mentioned in the Prophesy. They will destroy it, but not without a good fight from it, and those armies pledged to Sauron are not small. They will need help." Dræs looked at Mira. "I think that it would be best to create a scrying spell, so we can watch them. One for each member of this 'fellowship'. Terrico has already helped the elf." Terrico blushed, but hid it with her hair and hand. "Yes, I will do that. The ringbearer will be burdened heavily, but I will lift it somewhat. I have a spell that strengthens the spirit and prevents the mind from being overtaken entirely." Mira got up and walked over to the normally unnoticed pool in the back of the cavern. It was made of white marble, carved with images of dragons, elves, and other creatures. Mira touched the dragon on the top, and began to speak in Draconic. She slipped into a sort of Mage's Trance.  
  
A few minutes later, nine orbs made entirely of light rose out of the fountain. They moved out of the fountain and floated in the center of the cavern. The stone underneath of them rose up and formed nine pedestals, the orbs sat halfway into them. "It is done" Mira sighed and slumped down near the fountain. The spells had taken a lot of energy to create. There were nine orbs, each one focused on a different member of the fellowship. Different symbols on the rock pedestals identified the member, as well as told who was nearby. The orb focused on the ringbearer glowed a bit more, since Mira had added a protection spell. Terrico gazed longingly into the orb that showed Legolas. The fellowship was just leaving Rivendell. "Good luck, Legolas" Terrico mumbled in Elvish. Only Mahir heard her, and understood its meaning.  
  
Chapter 11 - Waiting for War  
  
The Fellowship moved on and fought many battles. Mira forbid any further tampering of fate, despite a bit of fear when she saw Gandalf's fall in the Mines of Moria. Terrico wished she could help Legolas, or even travel out of Mirkwood and follow him, but Mahir forbade it. "Stay here. You are needed." He said, when he noticed her watching Legolas's orb one night. She looked at him with a worried expression, but said nothing. Thranduil, she knew, was sending more and more warriors closer to their caves. The Chases never ended, not even while his son risked his life. The dragons began to become fearful, and Terrico began to keep all of the young ones in one room, in the far back of the caves. She taught them what Mira didn't have the time to anymore. She taught them the customs of the Dragons, the clans and their symbols, how to move through grass and forest without making any sound, and eventually how to fly. The warrior elves of Mirkwood were getting better at tracking, and even faint scratches in the trees from the brush of wings gave them direction. Terrico consulted the Map in Mira's room often, trying to see where they could dig escape tunnels and where they could build the blocking-stone holes to safeguard the very young and very old. Since the Dragons couldn't leave the caves to hunt, orcs began to attack Mirkwood. The warriors began to hunt orcs rather than Dragons. Terrico found an old book hidden in a tree one day. It contained Elvish magics, with spells like Levitation, Healing, and Growth. Terrico used these to her advantage, using Growth to create long vines that attacked orcs and strangled them. She used Levitation to move the dead orcs into food storage caverns. She took their armor and used the metal to create her own armor, as well as enchanted arrows that returned to the quiver when the user called them. She created three sets, one for herself, one for Mahir, and one for Legolas, if she ever saw him again. She also spent long hours with an emissary from the Bladeclaws of the Forest, a clan of Forest Dragons. He taught her all of the plant-based magic he knew. She created Orcsbane by mutating Elfsbane, a very deadly plant. Elfsbane poisoned the mind and body of an elf, then used the elf's fear of it to drive it to the center of the plant. Terrico and Mahir lived with it all around the caves, which gave them immunity to it as well as protection, no elf came within ten feet of any part of the Elfsbane plant. Terrico used Orcsbane to wipe out huge armies of orcs travelling past Mirkwood. The plant caught the orcs, and Terrico would pull some of them out of the plant's roots and levitate them to the Caverns. As time wore on, the Fellowship split, the ring eventually fell once again into the fires of Mt. Doom, and peace was restored. Terrico waited patiently for the chance to go to Legolas. She noticed that less and Thranduil was paying less attention to the Dragons, and she deemed it safe to send out hunting parties to gather what remained of the orc armies. Træs is now fully grown, his strength in magic matches Mira's and he leaves to go to the Caves of the Earthbound Dragons. The Earthbound are Dragons whose wings were lost by a magic spell, cast by Sauron when they refused to obey him. Although they can no longer fly, they are immensely powerful in ground and rock based magic. Træs goes to study their magic, then planned to travel to the other Clans, learning as much as he can. He also has Dræs' amazing physical power, making him a dragon beyond the power of normal dragons. He gives Terrico a Jade of Summoning, which allows her to call to him at will. She wears this in place of Mira's spent blessing gem. She wondered if the Prophesy would soon be fulfilled. Thranduil was becoming world-weary, and no longer cared about much of anything, except seeing his son again. Terrico sat on a stone stool she made that overlooked all nine of the scrying-orbs. Dræs came in and sat next to it. He spoke very quietly now, for he and Mira were becoming quite old. "When Thranduil leaves, Legolas will be King. It is not the King who will help you rule the Elves. I think that perhaps with the lessening of the Chases, the others are becoming careless. I can no longer persuade them to continue with caution. I fear our reign will soon end. You shall lead the Clan after we pass on. We shall make a scepter for you, one that all of the Clans will recognize." "Thank you. I have been pondering the fate of the Goldclaw. I will rule kindly and justly, as you have done." She bowed to the old Grunmaw, then headed out towards the cave's entrance.  
  
A Clawler, named Mæs, walked though the forest, hunting for stray deer, orcs, or forest bison. He stopped at a stream to get a drink. He did not notice the warrior elf that was sitting in the tree, also hunting. The elf saw the dragon, and immediately notched an arrow. Mæs never knew what hit him.  
  
In Mirkwood, a force of hundreds of warrior elves was gathered. The carcass of a large brownish dragon lay in the center of the city. Thranduil sat on a large ornate chair sitting out in the open, but on a raised platform above everyone. "The dragons draw near again! They know that the Ring has been destroyed, and that the time of the Elves draws to a close. They wish to take over our people! Take a good look at this one, it was taken a few miles from our city! A scout, no doubt." He motioned to the warriors and mages assembled before him. "Hunt them down! Do not let any of them escape! Find their lair and destroy it, but bring me any eggs you find, unharmed." With that he dismissed the armies.  
  
The other dragons knew of Mæs' death immediately. They knew that he died my elven arrow, and were ready to fight. They knew that the Elves were coming, and that there was to be a battle. Dræs and Mira prepared, knowing that they would probably die in the fight. The very old dragons of the Clan took the young and the clutches of unhatched eggs to the magically guarded chambers Terrico had prepared. After all that could not fight were safely inside, Terrico sealed the doorway. It looked just like a plain wall, no different than the others. Mira nodded her approval, then bowed to Terrico. "Safe flight" she said, then turned and left. The rest of the clan would leave, making sure that the caverns showed no sign of inhabitance. Everything was buried in holes scattered around, and then everything was swept clean with leafy branches. Foxes and rats ran around in the caves, further hiding any dragon-signs. Terrico left in search of Legolas. The scrying-orbs were hidden well, only Terrico knew how to find and open the door to Mira and Dræs' chambers. The Goldclaw clan left the caves that had been their home for ages. They knew not how many would return to them to retrieve what was left.  
  
Thranduil's warriors drew close to the caves not long after the dragons left to take shelter in the surrounding forest and hills. They avoided the cave's entrance because of the Elfsbane and Orcsbane. Terrico watched, hidden in the Elfsbane. She took a handful of seed from a close by seed pouch. The seeds sprout as soon as they sense a nearby elf that they can catch. Terrico was immune, so the seeds sat lifeless in her hand. She moved soundlessly through the trees, and ran ahead to where the dragons were. She took out Æstas and carved a warning in Elvish and Common in a large rock. "Do not harm the dragons of this area, they mean no harm. The penalty is death by Elfsbane or dragon-claw." She moved farther ahead and met Fæs, the brother of the now dead Mæs. "Give these seeds to the others. If any elves attack, throw them at them. They are Elfsbane seeds, and will take out quite a few attackers. They have had a warning. They are coming, quickly. I have watched them pass the caves." Fæs nodded, then left. Terrico ran off to the North, mumbling the Spell of Fire- Flight. Two large, fiery wings grew out of her back, and she took flight, hoping that the wind was in her favor.  
  
Chapter 12 - The Final Battle  
  
A few miles from the caves where the Elfsbane grew, the Elves came across a carved stone. They read Terrico's warning, but did not heed it. They merely made sure their weapons were ready. They spread out a bit, and the mages tried to use their magic to locate the dragons. Mira had cast an anti-magic spell on all of the dragons, so the most damage the mages could do was by hitting with their staffs, but Redrock dragons have scales so strong you can break rocks over them without much injury. The mages realized this, and moved back, planning to heal rather than fight. The warriors moved on, constantly looking for scraps, prints, and other telltale signs. They found very few, but still stumbled upon the Dragons hidden in the hills. They attacked as soon as they saw them. The dragons roared and took flight, dropping the Elfsbane seeds, which immediately sprouted. The first wave of elves was swallowed up, and the mages counted with flame. The Elfsbane was withered, but not destroyed. It merely retreated to its roots, taking the bodies of the first wave of elves with it. The elves launched a second wave, launching hundreds of arrows. The dragons landed, most taking damage in the leathers of their wings, hampering flight. The dragons attacked viciously, swiping and slashing with both talon and tail. In the battle, many elves died, as well as many dragons. In the struggle, Dræs was hit by a water arrow in the eye. Mira died at the same time, hit by an elven sword. They both fell, spitting flame. The flames mingled, and formed a tall, shining scepter. It flew northward like a dart. As the dragons fell, they crushed their killers, as well as any elf close by.  
  
Terrico landed at Helm's Deep not long after what remained of the Fellowship had left. She followed them for a week, until at last Legolas and Gimli departed from them. One night, she noticed a bright spear shooting towards her. She was sitting on the treetops, watching Legolas and Gimli as they rested. The spear stopped a foot in front of her, and stopped glowing. It hardened and formed a scepter. On it there was the symbols of all of the clans save the Blackmaws. Terrico understood at once. She carefully took the scepter and dropped down to the tree's lowest branch. Gimli was sound asleep, but Legolas was awake, but not paying attention to anything. Terrico dropped twig on his head. "What?" Legolas said, startled. He looked up. "Terrico!" Terrico silenced him with a motion, then dropped to the ground. "Your father, Thranduil, has launched an assault on my people, the Dragons of the Goldclaw clan. The Grunmaw have been killed, and I am now the leader. See! I have scepter of the Dragons." She held up the scepter. "These are foul tidings, but why have you come?" He looked at Gimli, but the dwarf slept on. "Thranduil is becoming world-weary. I can tell. Many of my people have died, and I wish to end this battle before they are all killed. Only you can claim Thranduil's throne." She looked at the scepter. The Goldclaw symbol glowed, but the glow was fading. "We must go, now, or all will be lost. I will summon Træs, and he will take us to Thranduil." Legolas nodded, and nudged Gimli. "Wake up Gimli! We are needed!" "What is it, Legolas? I was sleeping!" He then noticed Terrico. He stood up. By then, Terrico had called Træs through her Jade. Træs arrived a moment later, aided by a speed-wind spell. "I know about the Battle. We must go quickly. Get on." Træs laid down so Legolas, Terrico, and Gimli could climb on. Terrico sat in front, behind her was Gimli, and behind him sat Legolas. Træs leapt up into the air and shot off, aided by the speed-wind. They arrived at the battlefield within a half-hour.  
  
The battle was raging and it seemed as though the Dragons were winning. The Elfsbane had taken most of the Elven army. "Stop! Take flight! Fly!" Terrico cried over the din of the battle, the scepter glowed. All of the dragons obeyed, opening injured wings and taking flight. They flew off a bit, just out of range of the elves' arrows. The elves were startled. They turned and saw a huge red dragon, who carried a dark-haired elf, Prince Legolas, and a dwarf. "Who are you, who can command dragons? Prince Legolas, why do you sit on that dragon's back like a horse? Do you not fear it? Do not tell us you are a traitor!" The Elven Captain called up to Legolas and Terrico. None of them dismounted, but Legolas called out: "She is Terrico, queen of the Dragons. You have slain the leaders of this clan, but it avails you not! She is the Elf the Dragon Prophet spoke of." Legolas glared at the Captain. "Then you know they come to destroy us! You know what the Scribes said! Are you a traitor?" the captain called back. "I am a traitor only to the lies of the Scribes. They have lied to many generations! The prophecy calls for us to ride the dragons to the City of the Clouds, where we will both rule over our peoples. The Dragons will never allow us to fall." The elves stood amazed, and angry with the Scribes. The captain bowed to Træs. "Forgive me, dragon, I did not know." Træs bowed to him, and looked at Terrico. He spoke to her in Draconic, which none of the other elves knew. "He says that all is forgiven. Tell the others to put away their weapons. Return to Mirkwood! The dragons shall lead the way." Terrico raised her scepter and motioned with it for the dragons to land and walk ahead of the Elves. The battle was known as the Winless Battle in the scrolls of the Dragon and Elven historians. The dragons healed on the way to Mirkwood, aided by Mira's departing spirit, and Terrico's powers. The scepter stopped glowing, since all had become peaceful.  
  
Thranduil heard the party coming, and thought that his warriors had taken captives. He went to the entrance to greet his army, but was shocked at the sight. Thirty dragons walked unguarded and unchained into the city. Behind them, the third of his army that had survived. Some of his warriors were conversing with the dragons in the Common tongue, others were listening to the dragon's tales. He saw Legolas, his son, sitting on a dragon in the rear of the party. As the dragons passed him, most gave him evil glares. They knew who he was and felt no love for him. They saw Mæs' body still lying in the center of the city. They circled it, and chanted in Draconic. Thranduil stared, frozen with fear. Mæs disappeared, his body glowed, then shattered into many pieces, which flew upward, like embers, into the sky. Træs stopped in front of Thranduil, and lowered himself so the trio could dismount. Terrico slipped off first, gently helped Gimli down, and watched Legolas jump off. "What is the meaning of this Legolas? Who is this strange elf? Why…why do you come with such evil company?" Thranduil was very much confused, his face white. "My friends are not evil, father. You have shown yourself to be so. The dragons have never attacked us, yet you send the warriors to slaughter them! This is Terrico, she left here many years ago, as a baby. The dwarf is Gimli, and he is a good friend of mine. The dragons have told us the truth the Scribes hid from us. We have made peace with them once again." Legolas looked up at Træs. Thranduil's color returned. He reached into his robes, and pulled out a dagger. "I will not allow this! You have been corrupted, my son! I will not allow this to continue!" He ran at Terrico, and stabbed her in the shoulder. Træs roared in rage and struck Thranduil down with the back of his foreclaw. Thranduil was sent flying into a tree, and was killed instantly. Legolas caught Terrico as she sank to the ground. "Terrico!" he cried, fearing that she was dying. The dragons circled around Terrico and Legolas, all staring at the wound or the scepter. The scepter began to glow. It moved out of Terrico's hand and floated in front of Træs. He lowered his head, the opal on his forehead glowed. The scepter touched the opal, and it grew into a long, pearly horn. On its tip sat a ruby, the symbol of magic and wisdom. The scepter then floated over Terrico, and it shone onto her. The dagger fell out and the wound closed itself, the skin healing instantly and without a scar. The scepter then returned to her hand. "Legolas?" she asked, awakening. The dragons cheered. The elves of Mirkwood began to gather in the area where Mæs once was. Terrico stepped out of the circle of Dragons, holding hands with Legolas. Gimli walked not far behind them. Terrico held out the scepter of the Dragons and said, "The age of separation has ended! The Scribes have misled all of us. Now the Elves of Mirkwood and the Dragons of the Goldclaw Clan can merge! Antiamiamagis!" With the last word, the scepter glowed. Terrico released it and watched it. The scepter turned into a glowing spear once again, but this time it split, forming two spears. They floated in front of Legolas and Terrico. They reached forward and took the spears, which turned into two scepters. Legolas held the Scepter of the Elves of the Claw, which was silver, with beautiful carvings of leaves and flowers. Terrico held the Scepter of the Dragons of the Claw, which was gold, with all of the symbols of all of the Dragon clans except the Blackmaws merging into one symbol, the Goldclaw symbol set onto a cloud. The dragons called out in Common, "Hail Legolas, King of the Elves! Hail Terrico, Queen of the Dragons! Long live the King! Long live the Queen!" The elves, knowing that the Prophesy had come true, repeated the dragon's cries in Elvish. The cries of the Elves and the Dragons echoed throughout Mirkwood, driving out any evil that was within earshot.  
  
Later that spring, there was a wedding in Mirkwood. Legolas and Terrico joined together in marriage in the Caves of the Goldclaw, in the center of the Grunmaw Room, which was where the scrying-orbs were kept. The caves had been opened up entirely, and some of the dragons had chosen to return there to live. The orbs glowed softly in the back of the room, each one projecting above it a different member of the Fellowship. Terrico had temporarily enchanted the orbs so that the others of the Fellowship could be there, even if they were in the Grey Havens. Legolas wasn't projected, but his orbs still recorded the events of his life. Gimli stood next to the orbs, his did not project his image, either. Boromir, even though he had died, was projected. His spirit was watching, from wherever it was resting. Frodo and Sam watched from the Havens, while Aragorn watched from his bedroom. Merry and Pippin watched from the Shire. Gandalf smiled to himself, sitting in his room in the Havens next to Frodo. After the ceremony, Legolas and Terrico stood before the orbs' projections. "It is good to see you again, friends." Legolas said, his arms held Terrico tightly. "It is good to see you, Legolas" Aragorn said, smiling lightly. "And now you are a King as well. It is good. I send my blessings, as well as a gift. I had my artisans craft a statue in your honor, Legolas. It has you, Terrico, and a dragon all in Mithril. I was hoping it would be there already." He bowed slightly. Legolas thanked him, as well as the others. The projections faded, and the connections were broken. The orbs still showed the fellowship, but no longer allowed communications. Terrico looked over to the small pile of gifts that had been sent to them. Gandalf had sent fireworks, Merry and Pippin sent barrels of pipeweed and wine, and Frodo and Sam had sent a copy of the Red Book. Aragorn's statue was on its way. The Dragons had prepared a huge feast, and the Elves provided music. The festivities continued for a week before everything returned to normal.  
  
A year later, Legolas and Terrico had a son, who they named Legræs, which meant "Beloved of Dragons and Elves". The name held true. The Elves loved him, and they always smiled around him. The dragons also respected him, and they even allowed him to climb on them and pull at their horns and wings. He was the Prince of Mirkwood, and the King of the Dragons. Terrico was the Queen of both Dragons and Elves, and Legolas was King of the Elves. For a while, all was peaceful.  
  
The time of the Elves was quickly waning, and Legolas knew it. "My love," he said to Terrico one day, "it is time to go to the Havens, I am having a ship built now." The other Elves in Mirkwood were also beginning to pack up. Twenty huge ships sat at the coast, waiting for them. "I will go and gather the Dragons. The Havens are the gateway to our City in the Clouds." She stood up and called for Legræs. They left for the Caves, while Legolas and the other Elves departed for the ships. Gimli, who had spent his time in the Caves, collecting different gems and studying the dragons' mining techniques, left with Legolas. They left a week before Terrico, the last of the Fellowship to depart over the sea. Terrico called all of the Dragons of Middle-earth, from the Goldclaw to the Earthbound, and they took the scrying-orbs. As they passed over the sea and into the City, they fulfilled the Prophesy, and lived for the rest of time in peace, Legolas, Terrico, and Legræs all sitting on thrones, with Træs behind them. Sometimes the spirits of the others of the Fellowship visited them, the scrying-orbs giving them a chance to converse with the ageless King. Eventually, all of the Elves of Middle Earth traveled through the gates into the Cloud City, and the Grey Havens disappeared. The City itself slipped into myth, then was forgotten. The hobbits and the orcs, as well as the dwarves, many of whom followed Gimli at Legræs' invitation into the City, were also forgotten, as their time ended. Soon, Middle Earth began to change. Over the many years the Men there forgot about the Fellowship, and forgot about their history. Middle Earth changed, and the Men created their own histories. Soon, the only man to know of the history of Earth learned so from dreams, inspirations from Terrico, who did not wish for all to be forgotten, but his writings and stories were regarded as fiction, and Tolkien's books became one of the greatest stories ever written, fact or fiction. 


End file.
